Traffic barriers, sometimes referred to as Jersey walls, are commonly used to form a temporary wall between two lines of traffic or between a line of traffic and a construction zone. The traffic barriers typically range in length from 10 to 30 feet. They are constricted of steel reinforced concrete and can weigh between 8,000 and 20,000 lbs depending upon their length and cross sectional area. While the exact geometry can vary, they typically have a wide base which narrow towards the top. While some manufactures put an indented trough in the upper portion of the barrier which runs the length of the barrier, many manufactures make all of the upper barrier a continuous flat surface.
Because these traffic barriers are used for temporary protection, they are often moved around a job site and then from job site to job site. As can be imagined moving a 10,000 lb piece of steel reinforced concrete can be challenging. This is especially true on a road construction site where care must be taken so that the barrier or equipment moving the barrier does not accidentally end up in the traffic zone.
The most common practice is to move the barriers using an excavator or frontend loader. This requires a worker to chain the barriers to the bucket of the excavator or frontend loader. An equipment operator can then lift and reposition the barrier with the excavator or frontend loader. This method provides an opportunity for the worker handling the chains to either be hit with a barrier or have one fall on top of him. Both of which can result in serious injury.
What is needed, therefore, is a safe and effective way to move a traffic barrier without having a worker physically attach a chain, cable or sling to the barrier.